premium vs. new optics- how do you judge ROI and relative quality

Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
2,660
The Kowa Genesis are amazing. Think swaro el/NL pure with a little smaller field of view. Dollar for dollar these are the best binos out there, and it isnt even close. I used my 10.5x44s with my buddy’s NL Pures elk hunting for a week. The KOWAs glass is just as good.
 

Echo

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 17, 2020
Messages
116
If you’re looking for glass to have for the next 10 years, I would take a hard look at the Nikon Monarch HG’s. They are in that $1000 range and can be picked up for less, used.

Here is a pretty great review about these binos:

 
Joined
Mar 27, 2019
Messages
995
Location
Lyon County, NV
You have your eastern binoculars and are happy with them?

Your buddy has El's, how were those to you? What size did he have, did you need more power than what he had, how old is your buddy's El's (are they swarovision or older than 2011? You may be seeing what you want here with your buddy. The SLC's are no slouch either and both El and SLC can be had here and other forums for a lot less than full price. Cameraland and B&H photo both get used in and have great deals if you want reputable dealers over someone you don't know.

Yeah, I bet sitting for hours glassing is not the most enjoyable of endeavors after hiking into a place. Patience is a virtue.

Now that turkeys are getting scarce in the Eastern states, my old way of hunting is coming back. If I every hear a turkey, I am on him all day until I kill him. I don't have the luxury of moving on to a two-year old that will gobble his head off all the way to the gun. I have to stay on that one, call very little, I mean very little, and watch for hours without moving. Most can't hunt that way. I was brought up a long time ago when there weren't many turkeys, so this is just going back to my preferred style. Old school baby, bring one in every time I do mentality.

What's happened to crash the turkey population back east?
 

mi650

WKR
Joined
Dec 19, 2021
Messages
1,727
Location
Central Michigan
A lot of what you're looking for in finding insight and answers does depend on what you expect to do with your optics. The greater the functional demands, the more the ROI on expensive, high-quality optics.

Out west, mostly in vast sage country and some juniper, I might spend 10 hours or more a day looking through optics for mule deer. Piecing apart entire hillsides, shadow by shadow, looking for antler tines, hooves, ears, or the slightest flicker of movement. I can tell you, with low-quality optics that might just very well be unhealthy for the eyes, physically. The better the quality, the longer you can go before eyestrain and even headaches start setting in.

But if I was in big timber, or in a tree stand? Different ballgame, with what may be lower or different demands on the optics. Lightweight may be more important depending on the hunt terrain, or extreme low-light capability, or especially with bowhunting, something that will work well one-handed and unsupported at closer distances on a stalk.

It starts with being as honest with yourself as possible - through experience to the greatest degree possible - in what you actually need that glass to do for you.
Yes.

I hunt almost exclusively in my woods. They're fairly thick, >50% pines, and it gets dark early. While I'd love to have the 10x52 NL Pures, I bought 8x56 SLCs because they're what I need.
 
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Messages
2,868
The Kowa Genesis are amazing. Think swaro el/NL pure with a little smaller field of view. Dollar for dollar these are the best binos out there, and it isnt even close. I used my 10.5x44s with my buddy’s NL Pures elk hunting for a week. The KOWAs glass is just as good.
does anyone make bino studs for the Kowas?
 

Echo

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 17, 2020
Messages
116
does anyone make bino studs for the Kowas?
I’m not sure about a stud but Aziak makes a clamp compatible with the genesis (size 2)

 
Top